CPC Centenary kicks off

Communist Party of China (CPC) has commenced the celebrations for reaching an important milestone, the centenary of its founding in July 1921. It has fulfilled its first centennial goal of eradicating absolute poverty from China. This is no mean achievement as no other country in the world has reached this noble objective so far. There are many reasons for this historic success. First, the CPC is not a political party that pursues selfish interests. It is an organized party based on internal discipline and public support. It reiterates that it is not only a leader of the Chinese working class or peasantry, but also represents the Chinese people and the nation as a whole. Secondly, it is not a party that dominates the world under the banner of revolution. Because it has endured the hardships of captivity and slavery, it does not want to enslave any other country or nation. On the contrary, it seeks stability and sharing of interests with other countries, despite differences in social systems and ideologies around the world. That is why the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is calling for peace. Thirdly, the CPC, instead of being trapped in a whirlpool of old ways and customs, has to face the realities of socialism in the light of modern features and innovation, by adapting to changing circumstances, changing times and modern challenges. Such a dynamic and active party has been moving towards evolution and improvement for a hundred years which will take the PRC to new heights.

The commencement of the centenary celebrations kicked off with a grand ceremony in Beijing. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addressing the ceremony in Beijing on July 1, 2021, at Tiananmen Square, said that the CPC has united and led the Chinese people over the past 100 years for one ultimate theme – bringing about the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Xi said that the CPC and the Chinese people, through tenacious struggle, have shown the world that China’s national rejuvenation has become a historical inevitability. They have shown the world that the Chinese nation has achieved the tremendous transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong, Xi reiterated.

The Paramount Leader of China summed up the four great successes achieved by the CPC in the past century. He stressed that the party unites and leads the Chinese people in fighting bloody battles with unyielding determination, achieving great success in the new-democratic revolution. He numerated that the party unites and leads the Chinese people in endeavoring to build a stronger China with a spirit of self-reliance, achieving great success in socialist revolution and construction. His emphasis was on the aspect that the CPC unites and leads the Chinese people in freeing the mind and forging ahead, achieving great success in reform, opening up, and socialist modernization. Xi’s conclusion was that the party unites and leads the Chinese people in pursuing a great struggle, a great project, a great cause, and a great dream through a spirit of self-confidence, self-reliance, and innovation, achieving great success for socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Xi reminded that the firm leadership of the CPC must be upheld. The leadership of the party is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and constitutes the greatest strength of this system.

CPC is the foundation and lifeblood of the party and the country, and the crux upon which the interests and wellbeing of all Chinese people depend. Xi warned that any attempt to divide the Party from the Chinese people or to set the people against the Party is bound to fail. He stressed that “The more than 95 million Party members and the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people will never allow such a scenario to come to pass.”

It was Xi Jinping’s profound message that as the Chinese nation has upheld and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics and driven coordinated progress in material, political, cultural-ethical, social, and ecological terms, it has pioneered a new and uniquely Chinese path to modernization, and created a new model for human civilization. It was the Party’s general secretary’s heralding note that China welcomes helpful suggestions, but will not accept sanctimonious preaching. He recapped that the world should know that the Chinese nation is eager to learn what lessons it can from the achievements of other cultures, and welcome helpful suggestions and constructive criticism. He stressed that the Chinese people will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or subjugate them. He cautioned that anyone who would attempt to do so will find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people. Xi was resounding in spelling out that PRC has never bullied, oppressed, or subjugated the people of any other country, and it never will. China has always worked to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development, and preserve international order, Xi said, calling for continuous efforts to promote the building of a human community with a shared future.

The image China presents to the world today is one of a thriving nation that is advancing with unstoppable momentum toward rejuvenation, Xi said. The CPC is rallying and leading the Chinese people on a new journey toward realizing the second centenary goal, Xi noted.

Xi’s profound message was that it is certain that with the firm leadership of the CPC and the great unity of the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, China will achieve the goal of building a great modern socialist country in all respects and fulfill the Chinese Dream of great national rejuvenation.